As Baldur's Gate 3 talent like Shadowheart's own Jennifer English share why they hate being referred to as "voice actors" as it "negates" all the other work they put into a role, others state how screen adaptations overlook video game casts – like performance director Aliona Baranova.
Baranova, who also voices Corinna the Squirrel in Larian Studios' big Dungeons & Dragons RPG, highlights as much during a Baldur's Gate 3 anniversary panel moderated by Collider at the Tampa Bay Comic Convention. She points out that not only are video game actors being overlooked during on-screen adaptations' casting, but the dedicated communities backing their favorite titles and voices often are, too.
"I feel like it's a shame that the video game audience is being overlooked when it comes to screen projects," Baranova says. "We see from you guys how dedicated you are… and I feel like that's been neglected at the moment by filmmakers [and] studios."
She continues, citing examples of this phenomenon, starting with The Last of Us actor Ashley Johnson, who was the "most looked-up person on IMDb when the TV project came out."
For those unaware, Johnson serves as the voice of The Last of Us protagonist Ellie – and in the TV show, appears as Ellie's mother Anna. Even though there's clear evidence that fans enjoy seeing their most beloved actors make their way into on-screen adaptations, it's not a common occurrence by any means. Baranova goes on to mention other instances in which it could've worked well but never happened, like with The Witcher 3.
"Why is more of that not happening?" asks the director. "Why was Doug Cockle not in the TV series, The Witcher?" Although the show follows The Witcher books by author Andrzej Sapkowski rather than CD Projekt Red's games, Baranova's point is still valid. "Why are we not being considered when there are video game adaptations? Even animated adaptations like Arcane, we would love to be part of those."
It's not as though voice actors aren't "formally trained." As Baranova puts it, most are "also theater-trained" – although "that's something that maybe execs are a bit short-sighted about." Instead of acknowledging actors' broader talents, "they think, 'They just know how to do a video game.'" Baranova reasserts that "studios are neglecting" more than just the actors themselves – they're also pushing fans and their wants to the side.
"And I think it's a shame that that's being overlooked," concludes the actor and performance director. "It's being slept on." As a Baldur's Gate 3 player myself, I can only hope that, should any film or TV adaptation come, it features the RPG's original cast.
